Rectifying process



April 17, 1934. M, YQUKER 1,954,839

RECTIFYING PROCESS Original Filed July 15, 1924 DIST/LL/ITE CPI/DE Lloulo Patented Apr. 17, 1934- RECTIFYIN G PROCES S Malcolm Phillip Youker, Bartlesville, kla., assignor to Phillips Petroleum Company, Bartlesville, 0kla., a corporation of Delaware Original application July 15, 1924, Serial No. 726,106. Divided and this application October 20, 1925, Serial No. 63,

6 Claims.

This invention relates to improvement in a rectifying process, and the primary object of the invention is to furnish a process to produce sharp cuts in hydrocarbons and the like by the use of a minimum amount of heat.

The present application is a division of my application filed July 15, 1924, Serial No. 726,106, granted as Patent No. 1,735,558, Nov. 12, 1929.

The invention will be explained in connection with the accompanying drawing, which shows a side elevation of an apparatus by which the new process may be carried out.

Referring to the drawing,- the numerals 33, 34 and 35 designate closed horizontal cylindrical vessels which are mounted at successively lower elevations in the order in which they are mentioned, and under each of which is arranged a gas burner 36. A pipe 37 which is in communication with a supply of liquid which is to be dis- 20 tilled, leads into the vessel 33; a pipe 38 leads from the vessel 33 into the vessel 34; a pipe 39 leads from vessel 34 to vessel 35, and a pipe 40 in which is mounted a valve 41, leads from vessel 35 to storage tank (not shown). Pipes 14, 15 and 16 convey vapors from the distilling vessels to the rectifying column 8, and these pipes are respectively provided with valves 27, 28, 29. Arranged at the upper portion of the rectifying column is a condenser 9, to which vapors from the rectifying column pass by way of pipe 7, the distillate throwing off by way of pipe 10 into the conduit 11, the latter leading to a suitable storage vessel (not shown). A portionv of the distillate may be refluxed into the pipe of the rectifying column by way of pipe 12 having valve 13.

Distillates are taken 01f of the rectifying column at various elevations through pipes 25 and 26, which have respectively valves 31 and 32. The volatility of the liquid fractions thus drawn from the fractionating column 8 will be regulated through manipulation of valves 31 and 32 to vary the quantities of liquid drawn through said pipes 25 and 26.

The volatility of the condensate obtained from condenser 9 will be regulated through manipulating valve 13 to vary the quantity of this con densate which will be refluxed into the top of the fractionating column 8 through pipe 12. Increasing the quantity of condensate delivered from the condenser 9 into the top of the fractionating column 8 will increase the volatility of the condensate obtained from the condenser 9, and vice versa. Increasing the quantity of liquid drawn through pipe 25 or through pipe 26 by opening valve 31 or 32 will decrease the Volatility of the distillate thus obtained, and vice versa.

The distillates drawn from the apparatus through pipes 11, 25 and 26 will be successively less volatile in the order in which the pipes through which these distillates will be drawn, are mentioned.

A pipe 17 places the lower portion of the rectifying column in communication with pipe 39 so that condensates from the lower part of the rectifying column may flow into the distilling vessel 35 and be there atleast partially vaporized, so that the vapors will separate out and pass off by way of pipe 16. t

The apparatus shown in the drawing will be operated to carry out my new process inthe same manner as the apparatus disclosed in the parent application, Serial No 726,106, except that the liquid which is to be distilled will be passed through vessels 33, 34 and 35 in series in the order mentioned by means of pipes 37, 38 and 39, and each of these vessels will be heated by the burners 36 to such an extent that vaporous fractions of the liquid which is to be distilled will be formed in and caused to flow from the vessels through pipes 14, 15, and 16respectively. Vapors produced in vessels 33, 34 and 35 will be less volatile in the order of descent and the volatility of vapors produced in these vessels will be controlled by regulating the gas burners 3 6 to impart more or less heat to these vessels. Increasing the heat imparted to one of the vessels 33, 34 or 35 will decrease the volatility of the vapor produced in that vessel and vice versa. The valves 27, 28 and 29 will be utilized to regulate the liquid levels in the vessels 33, 34 and 35 by manipulating them to equalize the pressure maintained in these vessels. Residual liquid will be withdrawn from vessel 34 through pipe 39. The direction of vapor and liquid flow is indicated on the drawing by arrows. It will be found that by this method of distillation exceptionally well rectified fractions of a variable boiling point mixture of liquids, such as crude petroleum, may be obtained by single distillation.

While I have described in detail one method and apparatus for carrying out my new process, it is to be understood that I do not limit myself to the details disclosed as expressed in the claims. As an example of a change in the detail manner in which I will carry out my new process, I may in some cases use a series of heating coils and separators, similar to those disclosed in my parent application, Serial No. 726,106, in place of the series of stills shown in the drawing of the present application.

I claim:-

1. The process of distilling hydrocarbon liquids of mixed composition which comprises passing such a liquid serially through a plurality of distilling chambers heated to progressively higher temperatures, conducting evolved vapors from all of said distilling chambers into a common rectifying column, the evolved vapors from each of said distilling chambers being introduced into that part of said rectifying column Where they will be respectively substantially in equilibrium with the vapor and liquid at that part in said column, condensing rectified vapors leaving said column, providing a rectifying counterfiow of liquid in contact with said vapors in said column by refluxing a part of the condensate from said rectified vapors to said column at a point adjacent to where said rectified vapors leave said column, while avoiding elsewhere in said column both the introduction of counterflow liquid as such and the addition to the counterflow liquid by condensation of vapors by an extraneous condensing medium, and withdrawing liquid products of the process directly from said stream of counterfiow liquid.

2. A distilling process for the fractional distillation of hydrocarbon liquid which consists in causing a stream of hydrocarbon liquid to fiow counter-current to and in contact with a stream of hydrocarbon vapors, distilling a hydrocarbon liquid to separate it into a plurality of fractions of progressively increasing boiling points and introducing said fractions separately into said streams, continuously vaporizing at least a portion of the liquid which results from said contact between said streams, thus originating said stream of vapor, continuously condensing and refluxing at least a portion of the vapors which result from the contact between said streams, thus originating said stream of liquid, while avoiding the addition to the counterfiow liquid of liquid produced by a condensation of vapors by an extraneous condensing medium.

I 3, Adistilling process for the fractional distillation of hydrocarbon liquid which consists in causing a stream of hydrocarbon liquid to flow counter-current to and in contact with a stream l of hydrocarbon vapors, distilling a hydrocarbon liquid to separate it into a plurality of fractions of progressively increasing boiling points and introducing said fractions separately into said streams, continuously vaporizing at least a portion of the liquid which results from said contact between said streams, thus originating said stream of vapor, continuously condensing and refluxing at least a portion of vapors which result from the contact between said streams, thus originating said stream of liquid, and withdrawing a fraction from said liquid stream, while avoiding the addition to the counter-flow liquid of liquid produced by condensation of vapors by an extraneous condensing medium.

4. A distilling process for the fractional distillation of hydrocarbon liquid which consists in causing a stream of hydrocarbon liquid to flow through a rectification zone counter-current to and in contact with a stream of hydrocarbon vapors, distilling a hydrocarbon liquid to separate it into a plurality of fractions of progressively increasing boiling points and introducing said fractions separately into said rectification zone, continuously vaporizing at least a portion of the liquid which results from the contact between said streams, thus originating said stream of vapor, continuously condensing at least a portion of the vapors which result from the contact between said streams and refluxing the condensate at the top of said rectification zone, thus originating said stream of liquid, and withdrawing a fraction from said liquid stream, while avoiding elsewhere in said rectification zone, the addition to the counter-flow liquid of liquid produced by a condensation of vapors by an extraneous condensing medium.

5. A distillation process for the fractional distillation of hydrocarbon liquid which consists in causing a stream of hydrocarbon liquid to flow through a rectification zone counter-current to and in contact with a stream of hydrocarbon vapors, distilling a hydrocarbon liquid to separate it into a plurality of fractions of progressively increasing boiling points and introducing said frac tions separately into said rectification zone, continuously vaporizing at least a portion of the liquid which results from said contact between said streams, thus originating said stream of vapor, continuously condensing at least a portion of the vapors which result from the contact between said streams and refluxing the condensate at the top of said rectification zone, thus originating said stream of liquid, withdrawing a fraction from the said liquid stream, while avoiding elsewhere in said rectification zone, the addition to the counter-flow liquid of liquid produced by condensation of vapors by an extraneous condensing medium, revaporizing a portion of said liquid stream after the same has passed through said rectification zone, and introducing vapors thus produced into the lower extremity of said rectification zone.

6. A process as claimed in claim 5 wherein the volatility of the liquid fraction drawn from the rectification zone is controlled by regulating the quantity of liquid thus withdrawn.

MALCOLM PHILLIP YOUKER.

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